Pressure establishing mechanism



PRESSURE ESTABLISHING MECHANISM Feb. 20, 1945.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2, 1942 83 90 I i i i 70 r I":

s'i :r: 62

INVENTOR. Char/cs 14 Williams lo I - zmwwcww ATTOF/WQG Feb. 20, 1945. I E I w W.. .Q.AMS 2,369,704

PRESSURE ESTABLISHING MECHANISM Charles M MY/z'am BY 7711 147T UlP/VEYS.

pressure roll bite between the top roll 20 and either of the lower rolls. As shown in Fig. 4, there are provided two rock arms 55 connected by a handle 55', the rock arms being integral with bearings 51 pivotally mounted in the upper frame. A substantially triangular'opening 5B is provided in each rock'arm to permit the roll 2|] to shift upwardly without encountering resistance from rock arms. The opening 58 is triangular to permit free upward movement of the roll for any position of the handle 55. Thus, while the handle is not bodily shiftable in the ried by the shaft of the roll 20, as indicated at 11. Depending on which of the gears 68 and 69 is engaged by the clutch 12, the roll 20 will be driven and, due to frictional contact with it, the rolls 45 and 50 will also be rotated.

To shift the shaft 64, a clutchBD is provided and pinned thereto at its inner end. A forked arm 82, pivotally carried by the body at 85, is

top l4, the roll 20, the shaft of which passes therethrough, is vertically shiftable in the top.

The rock arms 55 are T shaped at the bottom to provide bearings when the handle is shifted to underlie either of the lower rolls. As shown in Fig. 4, this T-shaped portion, designated at 50, has been shifted to the right and a. pressure roll bite established between the rolls and 50. To accomplish this, the T-portion has been moved to underlie the said roll shaft until the same reposes in cup-shaped depression 62 of the T-head. When in this position the roll 50 has been pulled upwardly into engagement with the roll 20 and forced the same upwardly away from'the bottom of the pockets 29 against the pressure springs to establish the aforementioned wringing pressure at this bite. When the handle 55 is thrown to the other position the T head 60' releases the roll and engages the shaft of the roll '45 by the pockets 62' to create a pressure bite between the rolls 20 and 45. It will be noted that when the handle is vertical, pressure is released from both of the lower rolls and the top may be opened drawing the T head upwardly between the adjacent roll shafts. In this manner the handle 55 functions as a latch to kee the wringer closed and the top and body are unlatched by shifting the handle to a neutral position.

As more fully described in my patent above referred to, the roll not engaged as a pressure roll coacts with the common roll 20 to provide an auxiliary intake bite for clothes fed to the wringer. Due to the light pressure maintained at the intake bite the operator is protected from injury if her hands should pass into the bite but, due to the pinching action encountered, will instinctively withdraw her fingers and prevent them passing into the harmful pressure roll bite.

The roll rotation must be reversed as the pressure roll bite is shifted and from the standpoint of safety it is desirable that the rolls always r0- tate in such direction that clothes cannot be fed directly to the pressure roll bite. The mechanism about to be described is intended, not only to protect the operator from feeding clothes at the pressure bite, but to reverse the roll rotation by the handle 55 and simultaneously with a shifting of the pressure bite.

The drive to the rolls from an ordinary wash ing machine wringer post is transferred to the head by the connection 65 in the. stub shaft 66, which at its other end carries a bevel gear 61. Two bevel gears 68 and 69 mesh with the gear6'l and are idly carried on a shaft 64. A clutch 12 is pinned to the shaft 64 and engages either gear 68 or 69 as desired by'slidin'g the shaft 64 in its journals 10 and 10' in the head, which sliding hereinafter to be degear, also of the double toothed variety, is car provided with a pair of pins 86 which engage the clutch 80. The bottommost fork of the arm 82 is of the shape shown in Fig. 5 at 90 and is slotted as at 92 to accommodate a. circular extension 94 of the I head 66. Thus, as the handle 55' is shifted back and forth, the projecttion 94 slides in the slot 92 and cams the arm 82 back and forth about its pivot. This back and forth movement shifts the clutch and with it the clutch 12, to establish a wringer drive in either direction desired. It should be noted that when the handle 55 is in a vertical position the clutch 12 is moved to be disengaged from both bevel gears 68 and 69, thus stopping rotation of the wringer.

A guide 52 is carried by bearing blocks 5| and lies between the rolls 45 and 50.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that I have invented a novel and safe clothes wringer in which one handle control may function to transfer wringing pressure from one roll bite to another, to unlatch the top of the Wringer from the body and to reverse the roll rotation, or the wringer may be employed to accomplish any combination of these functions desired.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a wringer, a frame, a movable top carried thereby and held in locked condition when the rolls are in wringing relation, three rolls in said wringer with one roll supported by the top and coacting with the other two to provide a pair of roll bites, pressure mechanism to apply wringing pressure at either roll bite desired, including shiftable means carried by the top and engaging either of the other two rolls, said means being operable to simultaneously release said wringing pressure from the wringing pressure bite and to disengage said mechanism from both rolls to permit moving the top with respect to the frame. a

- 2. In a wringer, a main frame, a top frame shiftably carried thereby, a roll carried by the top frame, two rolls carried by the bottom frame, said rolls coacting to provide a pair of roll bites with the top roll as the common roll, pressure mechanism to apply wringing pressure at either roll bite desired, and rocker arm mechanism carried by said top and shiftable to underlie either under-roll desired to maintain the same against the top roll and establish a pressure bite between said top roll and said under roll.

3. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls carried thereby, said rolls coacting to provide a pair of roll bites with one roll above the other two and common to both bites, rocker arm mechanism shiftable to engage either other roll desired to :urge the same against the top roll and establish a pressure bite between said top roll and said other roll, together with power means to drive said rolls, reversible mechanism to reverse the direction of rotation of said rolls, and a link connecting said reversing mechanism and said shiftable rocker arm mechanism to simultaneously reverse the direction of rotation of said rolls and establish a wringing pressure bite between the top roll and desired alternate lower roll.

said top and shiftable to underlie either lower roll desired to maintain the same in predetermined relation to the top roll and establish a pressure bite between said top roll and said lower roll.

5. In a wringer, a framerthree rolls in said frame with one roll coacting with each of the other two to provide a pair of roll bites, pressure mechanism including a member adapted to be manually gripped shiftable from coaction with said one roll and either of said other two rolls to establish a clothes wringing bite at either roll bite desired, reversible power means to drive said wringer including mechanism adapted to'break the drive to said rolls during rotation in either direction, an arm carried by said frame for swinging movement in a plane parallel with the rolls, said arm engaging said drive breaking mechanism and means connected to said shiftable member and engaging said arm to break said drive consequent upon shifting said manual member to release the pressure mechanism from bite desired, reversible power means to drive said wringer including a separable connection adapted to break the drive to said rolls, and means connected with said separable connection to break said connection consequent upon shifting said manual member to release the pressure mechanism from either roll bite, said means ineluding a forked arm carried by the frame for swinging movement in a plane parallel with the rolls and engageable by said shiftable member to break said drive.

'7. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls in said frame with one roll coacting with each of the other two to provide a pair of roll bites, pressure mechanism shiftable from coaction with said one roll and either of said other two rolls to establish a clothes wringing bite at either roll bite desired, power means to drive said wringer including a pair of gears, a third gear mounted transversely of said pair of gears and adapted to effect a roll drive with either gear of said pair, mechanism arranged to alternately establish a drive through said third gear and eitherv of said pair of gears to reverse thedirection of rotation of said rolls, said mechanism including a slidable shaft having a clutch thereon and means operatively engaging said shaft to simultaneous- .ly shift said pressure mechanism from one roll bite to the other and move said shaft to operatively connect said gears for reversal of rotation of said rolls.

8. In a wringer, a frame, three rolls in said I frame with one'roll coacting with each of the other two, to provide a pair of roll bites, pressure mechanism shiftable from coaction with said one roll and either of saidother two rolls to establish a clothes wringing bite at either roll bite desired, power means to drive said wringer including a sliding shaft, a pair of gears idle on said shaft, clutch means keyed to said shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to be moved with the sliding shaft to engage with either of said gears as desired, a third gear mounted transversely of said pair of gears and adapted to effect a roll drive with either gear of said pair and mechanism arranged to alternately shift said clutch means from engagement with one of :said pair of gears to engagement with the other of said pair of gears to establish a drive through the gear engaged by said clutch and said third gear to reverse the direction in which said rolls are rotated, and means to simultaneously shift said pressure mechanism from one roll bite to the other and operatively release said clutch means from one of said pair of gears with which engagement had been made.

9. A wringer comprising a frame, a roll rotatably carried in said frame, a pair of rolls adjacent said first roll, means for alternately'press ing one of said adjacent rolls against said first roll to provide wringing rolls and urging the other adjacent roll toward one of said wringing rolls to provide rolls for feeding material to said wringing rolls, power means to drive said rolls including a separable connection, and a member adapted to be manually gripped and interconnected with said alternate pressing. means and said separable comiection including an extension on said shiftable member, a pivoted arm having CHARLES W. WILLIAMS. 

